American households consume a great deal of energy. In fact, the amount of energy consumed for water heating purposes is more than what is used to power a home’s lighting, appliances, and gadgets combined! Approximately 8 percent of homes in the United States replace their water heaters each year- if you’re due for a new water heater, you should consider a solar hot water heater system. Conventional water heating methods burn fossil fuels, whether directly or during the production of the electricity used for power. Residential water heating in the United States creates 173 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year! Every home and every fossil fuel burning appliance inside has a great impact on our environment, whether you realize it or not. Switching to a solar hot water heater system can greatly reduce your home’s environmental impact. If more American homeowners switched to solar hot water when replacing their current water heater, a significant reduction in the collective household carbon emissions would be seen. Not only would homeowners benefit by becoming more environmentally friendly, they would also be rewarded with much lower energy bills. The United States is a great place for solar hot water heater systems. Our country receives a great deal of sunlight exposure, which would greatly reduce dependence on fossil fuel water heating if solar hot water heater systems were in play in American homes. Of course, your home site and other factors will play in to whether or not solar water heating is a good option for your particular home. Solar hot water heater systems are an affordable solar option, with a much lower price tag than solar electricity systems. Most homeowners find that the energy savings these systems provide greatly offset the installation costs and make for a valuable investment. Many states and local programs offer incentives for homeowners who install solar hot water heater systems, along with federal tax credits.